Passion Party #95 - Rain

We wait 6 months or more here
in this desert we call Los Angeles

The rain finally arrives
after threats from the Meteorologists
of severe weather and mudslides

Walking on the beach yesterday
it looked like the winds might blow the storm north,
missing the L A basin
But last night the rain hit
strong and steady
washing the roads clean of months of oil and rubber

I love the rain
it lets me know that Nature has not forgotten us
the grass and the flowers smile
the air cool and clean
A walk with an umbrella
is a reason to celebrate

Passion Party #94 - The Power of Negative Thinking

Yesterday I read a book review of two new books:
one by a woman who is a cancer survivor,
one by an arch conservative.
Both were complaining about our
Feel-Good, Positive-Thinking, Have-a-nice-day society.
The woman felt she was ostracized if she didn't buy in to the idea that she had to "think positively" to help get rid of the cancer, instead of her belief that science and medicine would or would not cure her disease.
The man was just a curmudgeon, positive that Oprah and Dr. Phil and Eckhart Tolle are taking us all to hell in a hand-basket.
My mom, like many Jewish mothers, was a card-carrying member of the Power of Negative Thinking Club.
The Club has four precepts:
- Bad things are to be expected, and you know, it could be worse!
- No matter how good something is, these is always room to complain.
- Expect the worst, and you leave room that you can be pleasantly surprised.
- Complain enough, and you will feel better
And one corollary:
- Worrying prevents bad things from happening.

But over the last few years even my mother has become more positive.

I see myself as a realist that prefers to look at the glass half full
being optimistic with a healthy dose of skepticism
and always backing my positive attitude
with action.

Passion Party #93 - Open

Open
Open up
Open your heart
Open your mind
Open your thoughts

Open for business
Open for suggestion
Open during remodeling

Breathe
open up
to a new day

Passion Party #92 - Three Marriages

(A thank you to David Whyte)

I have three marriages in my life.
I have the marriage to my wife, the actual legal marriage that we all think of when we see that word.
I have a marriage to my chosen profession (or professions);
to my job.
I have a marriage to my self, and to personal growth, to finding out who I am.

Each marriage requires time, energy
and constant attention,
each one must grow
or it will be dying.

I used to think of this as
an impossible juggling act
trying to keep all the balls in the air and fearful of one or more dropping

Now I see
the interface
the support
the balance that comes
from the three marriages.

Passion Party #91 - Autumn Haiku

I planted the seeds
Nurtured them through spring, summer,
Now time to harvest

Passion Party #90 - 5 Types of People

There are 5 types of people or types of character
that I run into in business over and over again.

There are Great People:
interesting and interested,
open to discussion, intelligent, willing to listen,
they make decisions and follow through.

There are Sometimes Great People:
much the same as above, but more self-centered,
moody, open to wide swings of opinion, less decisive.

There are Fun But Hopeless People:
great to be around, but nothing ever gets done
good for partying, but don't take them to work with you.

There are Don't Trust Anyone People:
they have been hurt along the way, and no matter what you do they are sure the world is out to get them, so they better do it themselves.

There are Use You For Information People:
they suck you dry, and then move on.

I work with Great and Sometimes Great People
because character counts
and I want to be surrounded with Great People.

Passion Party #89 - Billionaires

Last night I read Forbes Magazine
"The 400 Richest People in America"
almost all of them billionaires.
Warren Buffett's stock dropped last year
and he lost $10 billion dollars
Now he only has $50 billion ($50,000,000,000).

Four of the top 10 are the Walton clan,
all have billions because America supports them by buying cheap stuff at Wal-Mart.

What drives these people?
After reading Warren Buffett's biography
I now know that, besides not having his unique abilities,
I wouldn't want to be him.
Nor would I want to be Bill Gates.
But I admire them for both moving from
accumulation to significance
by creating a foundation to improve the world,
spending the money rather than leaving it to their heirs.
I certainly would not want to be Larry Ellison.
buying his competition into oblivion and
spending it on the fastest sailboat in the world.

I don't need to be the smartest person in the world,
I just need to be smart enough.
I don't need to be the richest person in the world,
I just need to be rich enough.